Friday, November 28, 2014

A Romance with Books

by
Lilliana Rose

My
romance with books is about to end…

Gasp!

Let me
explain.

Moving
homes is one of the most stressful things we can do in our lives. And once
again I've moved house (I'm hoping that I don't have to do this ever again but
of course I probably will). My books have survived three different moves in
recent years, some of them now have bent or torn covers (I'm internally crying).
I'm one of those book owners who wont even dog ear a page (who would do that?),
let alone mark the book with pen or highlighter (off with your head!).

Settling
into my new home, I've finally been able to start unpacking boxes upon boxes of
books that had been in storage for the last 18 months. It's like getting
reacquainted with long lost friends. I'm remembering the worlds that the
stories took me too, and revelling in emotions evoked from the journey the
books took me on.

What has
changed for me during this particular move is that I should have about another
5 or more boxes of books, but I haven't because I've been purchasing ebooks.
The main reason I've done this (which I'm reminded as I nearly break my back
moving another box of books) is because of the lack of space. My bookcase is
over flowing with wonderful words and information that I love to dwell in. But
I need room to live in my home as well!

There
are also other reasons. My books have collected a lot of dust over the years,
and I've got a packet of tissues nearby and have dosed up on anti-histamines
(unpacking books can be dangerous to your health). And with the thought of
moving again I'm tempted to give my books to the Salvos and let them have a new
owner. (I don't want to keep them in storage)

What is
wrong with me?!

I can't
believe that I would ever think this. I must be sick. Don't worry I haven't
departed with my book-friends, but some of them have been marked to go to new homes,
which I am saddened by, but times have changed. I already have a lot of 'stuff'
to take with my when I move and I just want to lessen the material wealth that
I've gathered over my lifetime. I love my books, but the reality is that I'll
never read most of them again, because there isn't enough hours left in my life
time, plus there are new books to get to know and to have an affair with.

At the
same time I'm torn. My heart is broken from this unexpected break up, which is
made worse when I look at my bookcase, and the memories flow from the stories
it holds, because there are also other memories evoked in me. Presents from sisters,
parents, friends. There are my books from childhood (I'm keeping these) and there
are books that have helped me when studying or show a journey of whatever theme
I was obsessed in researching at a particular time in my life. I'm not sure I
want to part with these friends. They are still gems to be held, and I like to
glance my eyes over their wonderful features, check out their spines, smell
their musky scent – something that I can't be done with ebooks.

However,
this is where I find an unexpected advantage of having an ebook. While I can't
view them on a bookshelf as I wander past cleaning the floor, or looking for
one that I haven't read (so many of these!) by simply standing and staring at
the shelf because ebooks are tucked away. But what's become a necessity for me
is that ebooks only take up electronic space, at which I have so much more of
compared to the physical space. Plus they don't take up heaps of box space, or
near break my back when moving, or give me hay fever.

With
sales of ebooks slowing, and print sales holding their own in the market, I've
stepped across the line, gone past the point of no return, and electronic books
are my preferred option when buying a book.

I will
still have romances with books, it's just to a slightly different tune; the one
of cyber space.

What
have you done with your loved books? Have you kept them? Will you always keep
them?

Fantastic article Lilliana. My bookshelves are overflowing too.
Now you can learn more about Lilliana's book. Love the coverChange of Heartby Lilliana Rose

Blurb
Vickie wants spice in her life, but her husband George is more interested in
his work as a doctor. As a Victorian lady she is struggling to find her place
in the world. An outbreak of a mysterious illness threatens the ordered world
of Vickie and George. George becomes ill, and Vickie is left to care for him,
keep him safe, as well as trying to work out the cause of the mysterious
illness. Vickie must take charge in her world in order to survive.

Author BioLilliana is a
creative writer and poet. She enjoys pulling levers and turning cogs in
steampunks worlds and dreams of travelling around the world in an airship wearing
funky modern Victorian clothing. With over 40 poems published her poetry and
stories are spreading wings, extending out to various magazines and journals
around the world. ‘Change of Heart’ is her latest publication in the steampunk

Sunday, November 23, 2014

I've been website mum since inception and blog mum for a while now but the time has come for me to hang up my hat.

It's been a great ride with some ups and downs in my personal life making SARA online fraught with twists and turns. Great fodder for a novel, I suppose.

Through it all the SARA members have been a wonderful support.

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all who have helped with the blogging in the last few years - especially the amazingly talented and hilarious Emmeline Lock, who has graciously taken up the role of blog mum. So I leave this baby in good hands!

Thanks also to Maggie Mundy, Carla Caruso and Khloe Wren for help with the blog, to Bronwyn Stuart for her work on the Facebook page, and once again thanks to Emmeline for being the Twitter guru.

I wanted to also thank all of you readers who have visited the blog, and another thank you to all who took the time to comment over the years. On behalf of SARA, I have appreciated all your support. Please continue to keep that support up.

We have a wonderful band of SARA members who are doing amazing things and this blog is one of the places to support them - the others being FB and Twitter of course.

I sat watching a wonderful slide presentation by Trish Morey and Bronwyn Stuart at our last meeting and was so proud of everyone's achievements in 2014! It's one of the reasons I have loved being the blog and web mum - I got to put all those achievements up for the world to see.

Leesa's latest release was in September withCharming the Outback- the second NA story in the series that begins with Winning the Player. Although there is a mild sport theme the main theme is rural theme combined with the emotion of NA. Like WTP its a story about second chance love.

Blurb time:
When jaded city girl Maddy McIntyre packs up and leaves Adelaide for a new job in the country, it’s not only a chance at a fresh start. Six months ago, the first guy she’d ever loved shattered her heart before moving home to Broken Hill. Deep down inside, Maddy is hoping that living in the same town will give her an opportunity to prove to Luke that she’s one temptation he can’t resist.

But when she arrives in Broken Hill, Luke White is not the same guy she knew in the city. And it soon seems very clear that he doesn’t want her there. Although Maddy settles in quickly, excelling at work and partying with her new friends, she can’t understand why Luke is remaining so distant. Particularly when all her instincts are telling her that they’re meant to be together – and that he feels the same burning attraction.

As Maddy learns more about Luke’s family and background, she begins to understand that his mixed messages are caused by balancing what’s expected of him with what he really wants. Maddy gave Luke her heart long ago and, despite their differences, she knows she’ll only ever be happy with her hot country boy. But how can she convince him that she’s the risk he needs to take?

But that's not all, Leesa also has a book releasing a NA bundle with seven (count them, 7) other NA authors! And it's Leesa first indie published work.

Jardine will be released 15th December and has a cricket theme (how's that! :) ) It's the first book in a two book series. Boot two, Caught Out, is expected to be out in early 2015.

At eighteen, Ava is sure she has found her soul mate in Jardine. Convincing their friends and family that what they have is more than just a crush, however, is an entirely different story. Jardine’s parents have his life mapped out with plans that don’t include Ava.

Their plans to get into med school and start their future together crumble when cricket sensation Jardine is selected to play for the Australian team and expected to spend most of the year touring internationally. Ava knows since they agreed to follow their dreams, no matter the cost, she has to let Jardine go.

Ava also discovers a new inspiration to move on with her life. But can she keep it a secret from Jardine? If he discovers the truth, everything between them could be destroyed.

Khloe was offered a contract on a new stand alone novella Tigers Are Forever, which is due for release in December this year.

Another hot release!

Tourmaline Truth: Gemstone Vampires Book 2 was released on the spooky date of 31st October!

Vampires are real... as is the fact they will only ever take one woman, their Eternal Bride. When Barret sees Sharon, he’s excited to have finally found his Bride, until they meet and he learns Sharon knows nothing of Vampires and is scared of him. Once he seduces her into accepting his claim on her, Barret falls asleep…only to wake to find her gone. Sharon had snuck out while he slept and ends up in the hands of the enemy. His rescue attempt ends badly and they are both caught by the evil Nobles. Twenty-seven years later they find themselves finally free. As they both struggle to adjust to the outside world, Sharon is on a mission to rescue the sons she birthed in captivity. Barret wakes to find Sharon has, once again, slipped away while he slept. Will history repeat itself?

Virginia Taylor'supcoming release, Starling, has a new cover. It's the first in The Southlanders Series and will be released in April 2015 from Kensington's Lyrical.

Let your heart soar…

An aspiring dressmaker, orphaned Starling Smith is accustomed to fighting for her own survival. But when she’s offered a year’s wages to temporarily pose as a wealthy man’s bride, she suspects ulterior motives. She can’t lose the chance to open her own shop, but she won’t be any man’s lover, not even handsome, infuriating Alisdair Seymour’s…

To prevent his visiting sister from parading potential brides in front of him, Alisdair has decided to present a fake wife. He lost his heart once, and had it broken—he doesn’t intend to do it again. But stubborn, spirited Starling is more alluring than he bargained for, and Alisdair will risk everything he has to prove his love is true…

Set against the sweeping backdrop of 1866 South Australia, Starling is a novel of cherished dreams and powerful desires, and the young woman bold enough to claim them both…